[patti1645]

Hello,

My husband wrote last night and explained that we will be visiting The Villages this week and possibly returning at the end of the month. We were both teachers in NYS until we retired to Sarasota. We presently live in South Carolina and may consider moving.
Since we already lived in Florida for 8 years I have some knowledge of Florida life. However, I also have some concerns. We lived in a community that had a large amount of snowbirds. Every April/May people packed up and left for the north. During that time period it was nice to get into restaurants but everything stopped. Clubs, organizations and other activities went into a "summer mode" until the return of the snowbirds. Although my husband and I travel for a few weeks at a time I felt that there was no one around during our summer months. I would appreciate some feedback on how this affects the neighborhoods of TV.

We have also lived through two summers of hurricanes and threats of tornadoes. Since there is no perfect place I know that these can happen and in fact did in the Ocala area. Sink holes we did not deal with.

I also would like an explanation of the bond issue. In my mind there are many extra costs associated with living in TV which may not be fully explained in the literature that we received. Any comments would be appreciated.

Patti

[CatskillBill]

When you first open TOTV with the different categories listed, scroll all the way to the bottom part of the page and click on Sticky: Moving to the Villages, under Nuts and Bolts of The Villages.
A wealth of information has been posted on here by Zcaveman. Should answer a lot of your questions. Good reading.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by CatskillBill

When you first open TOTV with the different categories listed, scroll all the way to the bottom part of the page and click on Sticky: Moving to the Villages, under Nuts and Bolts of The Villages.
A wealth of information has been posted on here by Zcaveman. Should answer a lot of your questions. Good reading.

This is good advice and although it is hard to believe the list of expenses included in your package from the sales office is very close to the real expenses. I have read that time and time again in the four and a half years I have posted on here.

The bond is a price added to a new home for the infrastructure. For instance a designer Camellia will cost about $230K with about a 20K bond making that house (one of the most popular designs) about 250K. That house would cost more with a view lot, or a wider lot, or backed to a wall or to a road.

The amenity fee is aproximately $140 a month whether you live in a home that cost a million and a half or 60 thousand. It is based on cost of living.

The rest is so hard to believe until you get here. We live in a beautiful community with so many things to do that continue through the summer months. We have well over a thousand clubs, and we now number more than 90,000 residents. We have a good base left during the summer and more every day because people just don't want to go "home" during the summer.

Just wait. You will be so wowed. We just built our second home here. I don't like Florida but I LOVE The Villages.

Be prepared to see a lot of young people trapped in older people's bodies and be careful not to be run down by a jogger, bicyclist or inline skater. Don't be hit by a pickleball and be prepared for the political slant in the newspaper.
If you can get though all that, you will have a cold refreshing drink, have the chip implanted and start raving about it like I do.

Welcome to the forum. You will love it here.

[Mikeod]

To answer the question about the summer months, this place is non-stop. Things quiet down in the summer with respect to the population, but the activities continue. Some clubs may take a hiatus for a month or two, but most don't. The recreation department keeps its activities going all year round.

You just have to accept that it becomes easy to get a tee time, eat in a restaurant, and do almost any other thing.

[mac6115cd]

This is my first post and am planning on visiting with spouse this Fall (can't get away any sooner). We're not as concerned about a slow down in the summer, but more so about crowding in the winter. How are the crowds Nov - Feb?

[Villageshooter]

In the winter the best way to describe it is like a college town on Football game day ALL THE TIME!, everyone having a great time crowded everywhere lots of traffic. However it is winter you can hibernate if you like.
In the summer is almost like Mayberry USA laid back, no crowds, lots of specials in the restaurants they just are begging for customers. You can just about tell the golf courses when you are going to play.
Consider the changes like the changes of the seasons with out a snowblower.
It is all a good adjustment.

[swrinfla]

mac6115cd:

As a more-than-7-year-resident, here's a rough idea of how I adjust my thinking during the year:

When I can walk into a TV restaurant at 6 pm and be seated immediately, it is Summer!

When I encounter as many as a dozen golf carts backed up at a major golf-cart-path-and-automobile-route intersection, it must be Winter!

When ALL the check-out lanes at Publix are open, it must be Winter, and is probably near the beginning of the month!

When all traffic on Morse Blvd, heading north, is backed up to San Marino Drive, then it is Winter. If that back-up is reduced to less than 50 yards, then it is Summer, again!

Overall, of course, we permanent residents put up with our "hordes" of Winter visitors because without them, we'd be sitting here with no one else!



SWR

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by patti1645

Hello,

My husband wrote last night and explained that we will be visiting The Villages this week and possibly returning at the end of the month. We were both teachers in NYS until we retired to Sarasota. We presently live in South Carolina and may consider moving.
Since we already lived in Florida for 8 years I have some knowledge of Florida life. However, I also have some concerns. We lived in a community that had a large amount of snowbirds. Every April/May people packed up and left for the north. During that time period it was nice to get into restaurants but everything stopped. Clubs, organizations and other activities went into a "summer mode" until the return of the snowbirds. Although my husband and I travel for a few weeks at a time I felt that there was no one around during our summer months. I would appreciate some feedback on how this affects the neighborhoods of TV.

We have also lived through two summers of hurricanes and threats of tornadoes. Since there is no perfect place I know that these can happen and in fact did in the Ocala area. Sink holes we did not deal with.

I also would like an explanation of the bond issue. In my mind there are many extra costs associated with living in TV which may not be fully explained in the literature that we received. Any comments would be appreciated.

Patti

Patti, Hope your visit to The Villages was enjoyable. I'm an wannabee, so I always ask about bond balances when I have been to open houses in TV homes that have a bond. TV veterans can explain the bond better than I can, but on pre-owned home, the bond balance may be low or even paid off. So if you see a pre-owned home listed as having a "low bond balance" or "bond paid off" that is what that means. In the Lake County section of TV, I believe those homes never had a bond to pay. For the new homes, I believe the number of years to pay the bond is 30 (someone correct me if I am wrong), although I believe owners can pay their bond off faster than 30 years (someone correct me if I am wrong on that). From what I understand, owners pay their bond balance once a year at the same time they pay their property taxes (someone correct me if I am wrong on that).

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Schaumburger

Patti, Hope your visit to The Villages was enjoyable. I'm an wannabee, so I always ask about bond balances when I have been to open houses in TV homes that have a bond. TV veterans can explain the bond better than I can, but on pre-owned home, the bond balance may be low or even paid off. So if you see a pre-owned home listed as having a "low bond balance" or "bond paid off" that is what that means. In the Lake County section of TV, I believe those homes never had a bond to pay. For the new homes, I believe the number of years to pay the bond is 30 (someone correct me if I am wrong), although I believe owners can pay their bond off faster than 30 years Opportunity to pay off the balance each year (someone correct me if I am wrong on that). From what I understand, owners pay their bond balance Payment not balance. once a year at the same time they pay their property taxes (someone correct me if I am wrong on that).

,,,

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

,,,

Thank you...meant to say "bond payment" not "bond balance." See what happens when I work 50 hrs. a week.